Julia Gillard awarded Honorary Doctorate as RMIT celebrates graduates of 2020 and 2021.
Former Prime Minister the Hon Julia Gillard AC was awarded an honorary degree today at RMIT’s first in-person graduation event since 2019.
A crowd of around 30,000 graduands, family and friends, celebrated the Class of 2021, along with graduates from 2020 who missed out on a physical event last year due to COVID-19 restrictions.
As part of the ceremony, Gillard was awarded a Doctor of Law honoris causa in recognition of her tireless commitment to education, gender equality and inclusion for all.
RMIT Interim Vice-Chancellor and President Dionne Higgins said Gillard had made an exceptional contribution to both the community and public service throughout her life.
“Her passion for education, gender equality and inclusion, and fierce determination to push the boundaries has delivered nation-changing policies and reformed Australia’s education at every level,” Higgins said.
“She continues to create a lasting impact through her work in local, national and international communities.
“We are proud to recognise Ms Gillard’s outstanding achievements and welcome her to the RMIT community – we share her passions, we will learn from her global leadership, and know she will continue to inspire people of all ages.”
Live streamed into Marvel Stadium from Adelaide, the former Prime Minister congratulated the students and acknowledged the extra hurdles they’d faced due to the pandemic.
“Successfully finishing a course of study is always a milestone that deserves a celebration,” Ms Gillard said.
“But that is doubly true now, given how hard the last couple of years have been for everyone.
“I know, you as students, would have found the pandemic disruption and the loss of campus contact especially difficult. You would have had to summon even more perseverance and resilience to get through. But you’ve made it and today is your day,” she said.
“Today is about celebrating individual achievement but it is also about us collectively celebrating the transformative power of education which is the foundation for building a life of empowerment and choice.”
Since graduating herself from the University of Melbourne in 1986 with degrees in Law and Arts, Gillard has long advocated for equitable access to education. First as a student activist, protesting education funding cuts, then as a lawyer and political adviser.
Her belief from a young age that men and women should be treated equally, and a desire to address the evident inequalities around her, fueled a determination to create impact in areas she truly cares about.
“It shaped my work as Minister for Education and Prime Minister of Australia,” she said.
“My focus in these roles was on how to increase access to quality education for everyone and reforming Australia’s education system at all levels.”
Through her passion, fierce determination and resolute commitment to get things done, Ms Gillard has become a global leader and role model for girls and women of all ages.
“I have had the privilege of visiting some the poorest parts of the world and witnessing firsthand the positive change education brings,” she said.
“I have seen how the lives of children, especially young girls and women, can open up when they get the chance to go to school and learn. And how they become emboldened to make choices for themselves and for their futures.
“What is even more exciting is that this change doesn’t just change one life, it has the potential to change whole communities. That is also true for you today, graduates. Today you will change how others see you and how you see yourself. It will empower you to make a difference in the world.”
In October 2012, Ms Gillard received worldwide attention for her speech in Parliament on the treatment of women in professional and public life. The now iconic speech has served as a rally cry for women not only in politics but in leadership positions across all sectors.
In recognition of her outstanding achievements and public service, she was awarded a Companion of the Order of Australia in 2017.
Today, following a distinguished career in the public service, Gillard continues to create impact in local, national and international communities and shares what she has learnt from her experience.
Her unwavering commitment to inclusion, wellbeing, practical innovation and the value of hard work, has changed Australian political history and earned her an international reputation as a respected figure in the many different fields to which she contributes.
“For me, witnessing the transformative power of education underscores the need for robust educational institutions that are committed to remaining relevant and adapting as the world changes.
“The Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology is an exemplar of that kind of innovative approach.
“You will always be proud that RMIT is the intuition which awarded your degree, and I am proud to have been awarded an Honorary Doctorate today. I thank you.”
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